


Fly Away

by sunnyskipper



Series: DREAMSMP ONE-SHOTS / SHORT STORIES [2]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alexis | Quackity-centric, Duck Hybrid Alexis | Quackity, Light Angst, Multi, Parental Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Phil canonically has wings, Quackity loves his two fiances, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Winged Alexis | Quackity, Winged Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Wings, it's Quackity c'mon, it's canon wdym, rated teens for mild swearing, well he used to
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:48:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29058516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnyskipper/pseuds/sunnyskipper
Summary: Quackity was born with wings, and ever since he first had them he dreamed of flying. Unfortunately, they were never strong enough to lift him off the ground, and he was stuck envying the freedom of flight others had. He thought it was too late for his wings to further develop, but the past few days, his wings have gotten harder to hide, and he knows just the right person to help.
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity/Karl Jacobs/Sapnap
Series: DREAMSMP ONE-SHOTS / SHORT STORIES [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2159262
Comments: 20
Kudos: 428





	1. Wings of Gold

Quackity has always had wings. He had them since birth, bright gold that reflects off the sunlight, people envied him for it. He eagerly anticipated the day he would take flight, soar to the air and discover if clouds really do feel like cotton candy, and he'd be able to see the stars up close, maybe even steal one for himself. He constantly attempted to take flight as the years went on and his wings developed; he'd leap from trees at school as his friends cheered him on, only to crash into the arms of a teacher, his friends, or the rough pavement. He received a few broken bones, admittedly, but that didn't stop him.

Though at age nine, after breaking his arm for the fourth time in the past couple of years, his parents gave him the bad news at the hospital. His parents both had wings, and it didn't occur to him that they were so small, and they couldn't fly. They informed Quackity that his wings will grow a little more as he ages, but they'll most likely always remain too small to take flight. It crushed his dreams, his hopes were proven impossible and the stars were just out of his reach.

He refused to believe it. Surely, there had to be some way he could make it work. He was determined, staying up late watching tutorials on how to train yourself for flight, but all wings shown were different than his, they were much larger. His only just reached his shoulder blades, a few feathers sticking further out. He didn't let his parents know about any of this, keeping it a secret. 

Then, when he deemed himself ready, he gathered his friends to meet him at the school yard. He had a surprise to show them that'd knock their socks off, and he'd be the coolest kid not only in his grade, but possibly the entire school. There were other winged kids, not many, but they were younger so their wings weren't fully developed yet. 

He climbed to the top of the tallest tree, and he got a little nervous seeing how high he was, but his friends egged him on. So he took in a deep breath, spread his wings and manually adjusted his feathers, and braced himself. Then, he prepared to launce himself off the branch, but a split second before he could it snapped under his weight. He panicked and shut his eyes, and his body acted on instinct.

He opened his eyes to the sound of amazed gasps and awes. He'd actually taken flight, or, more so was just gliding in the air, but technically the same thing. His parents were wrong, he could fly after all. He tried to flap his wings, but it ruined his momentum, the air underneath his wings were the only thing keeping him up. He dipped forward, then leaned to the side, and began spiralling towards the ground. He desperately flapped his wings trying to keep himself afloat, but they were too small to keep him up. 

There were screams of terror, and his friend's horrified faces splashed across his vision before he closed his eyes, and landed on his wings with a loud, painful 'crack'. He'd broken both his wings.

His parents were horrified, arguing with both him and each other. They let him off the hook when he started crying, and tried to comfort him, but all he wanted was to soar, and reach the sky. The world seemed to be against him and sadly, there didn't appear to be anything he could do about it.

When he returned to school after a short break, and told his friends the bad news, he discovered that a large majority of his friends had shifted to someone else's friend group. One of the younger winged kids had successfully taken flight, and landed without a scratch. 

From that day onwards, he accepted the fact he wouldn't be able to fly, if even glide again. As he got older and met new people, leaving his old friends behind, he chose to hide his wings behind jackets and such. They were so small no one ever noticed, and the feathers behind his ears were covered up with a beanie. Admittedly he somewhat stopped tending to his wings, forgetting to preen and even just stretch them out after days of hiding them within his jacket. It frustrated him, what was the point of even having them if he couldn't fly? He found them annoying, no longer a gift he once adored. Now they just got in the way.

When he joined L'manberg and things proceeded from there, he still hid his wings. It began a subconscious thing, not seeing it as a big deal, but then again no one else had any. Covering them had turned into second nature, and the only person who did happen to find out was Schlatt, completely by accident. He walked in on Quackity fixing up his feathers, and after a few seconds of silence and confusion, and Schlatt almost walking back out the door, Quackity explained things to him, but he didn't really care much.

The thought of showing them to his Fiancés, Sapnap and Karl never crossed his mind; again, not much of a big deal and them not knowing easily slipped his mind. He assumed they wouldn't care as much, either, like Schlatt. 

Then, he met the first other winged person on the server. Phil. Only problem is; his wings were permanently broken after Wilbur pressed the button and blew up L'manberg. They were so large and beautiful, from what he could tell, but now they had holes in them and even when they healed, he could no longer fly with them. A bummer. 

Quackity had been close to Wilbur, they were friends. He'd talked him out of pressing it before, but he hadn't been there this time, he didn't have the faintest clue what he had planned. He stood right on where one of the explosions went off, and it catapulted him straight into the air. It destroyed some of his jacket, allowing his wings to be free and subconsciously spread out. As he panicked, the wind picked him up and he gently glided through the air before landing on the ground, and the shock of L'manberg exploding right before his very eyes distracted him from what he'd just done. 

He'd glided, only for a few seconds, for the first time since he'd been a little kid. 

L'manberg had been completely destroyed. They rebuilt from the ground up, but couldn't cover up the entirety of the damage left behind, a large crater. Wilbur didn't survive, not because of the explosion, but because Phil had killed him. He ended his own son's life, and... maybe it'd been for the best, he isn't sure, but he misses him. 

Before Ghostbur arrived, things were... difficult, and everyone worked hard to recreate their precious home, their nation. They had lost everything, but slowly, it would come back to them, such as how Ghostbur did. It was... nice to have him back, even if he said he isn't actually Wilbur, as if they're two separate people. He's the second person who found out about his wings, he'd been having a rough day and accidentally let his jacket slip. Only for a split second, but Ghostbur noticed and wouldn't shut up, so Quackity ended up telling him. 

"Is it okay if I tell anyone?"

The question confused him a bit, but what was even more strange was how he couldn't think of an answer. "I... well, I mean... not really? Nobody else knows about this, except for Schlatt and, you know..."

He noticed him hanging out with Phil a few times, such as aligning the note blocks at a musical stand and Wilbur would play a little song. Their interactions were sweet, a caring Father and his... dead, ghost son who he... killed, but sweet nonetheless. Though Quackity's eyes would always drift to the man's broken wings, which he still wore on display, and well they were too large to hide away. They were so beautiful, and soft-looking. Though, as Ghostbur played his song, Phil noticed Quackity from the corner of his eye, and he quickly ran off. 

With everything going on; rebuilding L'manberg and making sure that it won't be blown up again, and being Vice President under Tubbo, Quackity forgot to take care of his wings. They'd been getting itchy lately, likely moulting season, but he'd also been getting weird looks from a few people, who wouldn't make a comment. It's only when Tommy asked what he had tucked under his jacket that he sprinted home. 

He threw off his jacket, and to his surprise, it'd started tearing at the back, threads coming loose. Something tickled his ear, and he flinched. He glanced over his shoulder and his jaw dropped at what he saw; normally his wings only reached his arms when they're by his side and stopped at his mid-waist. However, now they dropped down to almost his waist. 

They must've been steadily growing, but he hadn't checked on them in so long he hadn't noticed. It doesn't make any sense, but, his wings are only supposed to stay small, they were supposed to have stopped growing, not have a sudden growth spurt. His feathers were a mess, ruffled up, and a few had fallen to the ground. He reached a hand behind his back and felt around, smoothing them out, but jumped at a sudden, sharp pain. Oh, great, he had blood feathers. It made sense for a few feathers to break, when they're squashed under his jacket which could no longer contain them.

He thought for a moment, before spreading them out. It took some effort, because of how long he hasn't used them for; the muscles are weak. It's like with any other body part, like your arm for example, if you don't exercise it enough the muscles will lose bulk and weaken to the point you lose a lot of your strength. He sighed and facepalmed, realizing his mistake. But he never thought he'd actually have to use his wings, since he physically couldn't. 

He had to manually stretch them, gently holding the tips of his wings. They were about arms length, if he were to make a rough estimate... they were around six feet, and before they were only, what, three feet?

He could fold them in on him, now, kind of like a cape, but still a bit short. This made seeing them so much easier, and wow, did they need fixing up. This also made things a bit more difficult, considering he couldn't exactly hide them under his jacket anymore, it was literally bursting at the seams. Too bad, it was his favorite jacket, and he didn't exactly have anything in a larger size.

Would he... be able to fly now?

No, no. He can't get his hopes up, they're much larger now, somehow, but he doubts they're large enough to carry him. He's done his research and normally, adult males at average height and weight have wings that come all the way down to their feet when retracted, and when outstretched, come out to to a shocking twenty feet or so. He's a tad smaller than most adults, however, and less bulky. His wings also grow outwards, unlike downwards like Phil's, which are literally close to dragging on the ground. Thinking it over once more, he came to the unfortunate conclusion that his wings were still not big enough. 

He could still try though.

Could he?

It's tempting, he doesn't even know how or why they grew so much in the first place. It probably won't be a good idea, considering he hasn't used them in so long, and they're in poor condition. Maybe... if he fixes them up, trains them a bit so they're actually strong enough to carry him, there's a slim chance this could work.

* * *

This is getting out of hand.

For the past five minutes or so, he's been pacing back and forth in his house, hands entangled in his hair and feathers ruffled up. A gentle knock on the door steered his train of thought straight into a wall, and he perked up. He wasted no time hurrying to the door, swinging it open to reveal none other than Philza Minecraft, the solution to his problems.

"Thank _fuck,_ you're here," he greeted in a strained voice.

Phil wore a small smile, a calming presence as he entered the house and the door closed behind him. He took a quick look around the interior, "alright, it sounded urgent, what do you need?" He asked. 

Quackity squinted his eyes at him. His wings were wrapped around him like a fluffy blanket, that's what Phil must see them as. He let out a sigh and outstretched his wings, they'd grown longer during the past two days. They went from roughly six feet wide, to a whopping ten feet on each wing, he measured it himself with some difficulty, meaning in total he had a wingspan of twenty feet ( in other words, six metres ). He hadn't left his house since, he informed everyone he'd fallen ill and to stop Sapnap or Karl from coming over with gifts, he warned it was probably contagious, although he only described the exaggerated symptoms of a cold.

They're heavy as hell, and he doesn't know how to function properly with them dragging on the floor. It's beginning to drive him mad, and he messaged the first person he could think of.

Phil's eyes widened at the sight, having to take a step back, "whoa!" 

He folded them down, and started circling around his house, hands slipping under his beanie again, revealing the feathers behind his ears. "They used to be so small, no one could see them, no one!" He complained, raising his voice and throwing his hands into the air. He sharply turned to face Phil, his wings opening up unintentionally. "Now look at them!" He shouted, and jumped as a few objects his wings hit toppled to the floor.

Phil seemed perplexed, to say the least. 

Quackity recoiled, his wings wrapping around him like a shield, he averted his gaze awkwardly and rubbed his arm. "I just, you're the only other person who has wings, or... had," he muttered the last part, hunching his shoulders. He doesn't like this, for once not knowing what's happening, nor how to figure it out on his own. It's confusing, it's stressful and he thought this chapter in his life had came to a curtain close years prior.

"Maybe you're just a late-bloomer," Phil reasoned with a half shrug, he walked over and moved behind Quackity. Who reluctantly stretched his wings.

"Really, late-bloomer?" He sighs with a small roll of his eyes, and flinches when Phil carefully touches one of his wings with just his finger-tips. Slowly, he helped preen his feathers with his hands, rearranging them delicately and cleaning them of all the dust they'd collected. He also plucked out a few blood feathers. 

"You said they used to be small?" 

Quackity stretched his wings a bit, leaning them into Phil's touch. "Yeah, they only reached my arms. I used to be able to fit them under my jacket," he answered with a bitter tone.

Phil snuck a glance at the familiar dark blue jacket tossed aside, the back torn open. He winced, and removed his hands. "Oh."

Quackity sighed, stretching his arms. He'd really liked that jacket; such a shame. His wings already felt a thousand times better thanks to Phil, who hardly even did anything. "You're a lifesaver, dude," he said, glancing over his shoulder. Phil cracked a bashful grin and lightly chuckled, stepping aside he crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head, studying his wings. 

"Do you know how to fly?" He asked, and his eyes flickering up to Quackity's face, he was taken aback by the dumbfounded expression he wore. As if he'd asked the stupidest question in existence, and he stared back at him in utter confusion, raising a brow. 

Quackity spun around to face him, his hands shoved into his pockets he cocked his head. "Do I ─ I just told you how small they used to be! There's no way I could've lifted off the ground with them!" He exclaimed, gesturing wildly with his hands.

"So no."

Quackity narrowed his eyes, and throwing up his hands to cover his face he turned around and groaned. His back turned to Phil, he noticed a blood feather he'd missed and quickly plucked it out with a whistle, "wow, this is terrible, when was the last time you took care of them?"

There's a pause.

Quackity's voice comes out quieter than before, and a little shaky. "I... don't know? I couldn't fly with them, so I've always hidden them under my jacket, and I... sometimes forget to take them out." His shoulders are raised, and his wings act as a blanket. 

Phil stares at him for a moment, then softly sighs. "That explains things, they look absolutely horrible," he comments, and can hear Quackity grumble under his breath and rolls his eyes, but he doesn't protest.

He runs his hands over the ruffled up feathers. "Well, they're large enough to fly now, just too weak. I'd say build up some muscle, start taking care of them properly and then give it a shot," he said, and felt Quackity flinch. His wings fall and he glances over his shoulder, eyes wide and glimmering with genuine hope.

"Wh...what?"

Phil can't resist but to put on a smile, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I said, you should be able to fly. Not right now, but after some work, then yeah. I can teach you, if you want, not that I'd be fly myself, that is," he replied, scratching his neck. 

His smile widens as Quackity's face lights up, and a wide, excited grin spreads across his face. Even his wings react, raising up and ruffling up a little. "Really?!" He exclaimed, before noticing his actions, and cleared his throat, reverting back to his bored expression, but Phil can see it in his eyes. "I mean, do you think so?" 

Phil's smile increases, but before he can respond, Quackity continues. "I mean, half the reason I called you over is I don't know how to hide them. They don't fit under anything, and since they spread outwards instead of downwards, a long coat won't help much." 

Phil's smile fades, turning into a frown, and he raises a brow. "Why do you need to cover them for?"

"Huh?"

Phil shrugged. "Well, they're in such a bad state because you constantly hide them away, right? No one cares about mine, so why would they think different about yours?"

He... does kind of have a point, he has to admit. Quackity looks down, unsure, asking himself the same question. "I..." but he couldn't come up with an answer. 

Phil rests a hand on his head, and Quackity looks up to meet his gaze. "It's your decision. I'm just saying, you can't stay cooped up in here forever, they're gonna notice."

Quackity opens his mouth to speak, but no words come out. Phil's hand moving away, his head falls and his shoulders hunch. "Yeah... I guess you're right."

Karl and Sapnap weren't doing much by themselves, walking down the prime path and happily chatting and laughing with each other. Though, a familiar voice interrupted their thoughts, both coming to an abrupt halt and turned their heads towards the direction of the voice. Their eyes widened and their smiles changed to grins as they pulled away from each other and waved their friend over. "Quackity!! Yo!!" They greeted enthusiastically. 

Quackity returned a sheepish smile, making his way down the path towards them. His wings draping over his back, when he came closer, they noticed his new accessory that reflected the sunlight. They were in awe, walking over they started feeling what appeared to be a blanket, or a cape. It tickled. "H-hey, guys! Stop that!"

"It's so soft! Are these actual feathers?"

"Where'd you get this from? It's so cool! Can I try it on?"

Quackity jumped away from their prying hands, his wings spreading open to reveal the truth. They stared dumbfounded, and Quackity chuckled nervously. "It's not a cape, you dumbasses... they're wings, and they're real," he explained softly. 

Sapnap and Karl exchanged looks, and their silence filled him with dread. 

"Wait, so what, you just suddenly grew wings?" Sapnap asked with a small laugh. 

Quackity chuckled, averting his gaze, he rubbed his neck and adjusted his beanie. "Uh... no?"

Their looks of confusion returned. "What do you mean no?"

Quackity choked out a laugh, fixing his beanie and hair. "I've always had them, since birth. It's just that they were much, much smaller, and I hid them from everyone. But, uh, as you can see that uh... isn't an option anymore," he whispered the last part, pulling his beanie down. He didn't hear a response from them, and his heart ached as he made himself smaller. 

Maybe this had been a bad idea, after all.

"Why didn't you tell us?!"

"Uh─"

Raising his head, he was caught off guard by their looks of awe, and his heart skipped a beat as they stood by his side and examined his wings. 

"They're so cool! Can you fly?"

"Um, no, I can't─"

"They're so pretty! Seriously, they suit you so well!"

With one compliment after the other, it left him flustered and at a loss for words. The complete opposite reaction he'd been expecting, it's a good thing. They weren't upset he'd hid it from them, surprisingly, and they were showering him with positive feedback. "Thanks, guys, really..." he mumbled, and raising his head to look at them, he spotted someone else standing down the prime path. Phil. He smiled, and waved. 

Thank you, Phil.


	2. Chapter 2

The following weeks went along smoothly; Quackity no longer hid his wings. They were admittedly a little annoying, they were so large it had to get some getting used to, and he had to adjust all his clothes so they'd fit. He started taking care of them properly with Phil's assistance, and with each passing day his dream of soaring the skies grew closer, until he could outstretch his hand and grab it. As Phil had said, no one cared that much about his wings, they were a little surprised but nothing much else. They treated him normally, asides from Karl and Sapnap occasionally admiring his wings, and motivated him to train harder each day. 

Until the day finally came, he was ready, he could feel it. His wings had grown stronger thanks to his training, and they were large enough to lift him off the ground, but would it be enough? There was only one way to tell. 

He knocked on Phil's door, and quickly fixing his hair under his beanie he straightened his posture. 

"Coming, just give me a sec," a familiar voice answered, and he heard nearing footsteps before the door opened to reveal Phil. His eyes widened and his expression brightened to see Quackity, a smile crossing his face he let out a light chuckle and leaned against the door. "Quackity, how can I help you?" 

Quackity needn't say a word, simply glancing at his wings, and Phil got the point. He stood up straight and his smile turned into a grin, and he stepped outside to closely examine his wings. He'd been working non-stop to prepare himself for this day, he can only hope he has what it takes.

Phil whistled, spreading one of Quackity's wings he ran his hand over the muscles. "You've gotten stronger, that's for sure," he said, removing his hands. Quackity turned to face him, awaiting a definite answer. 

"So? Do you think I can fly with them or not?"

"Well, there's only one way to find out." 

They needed to start small first. But whilst Quackity suggested he jump off a tree, Phil suggested the roof of a house, and if not, then they could climb to the top of one of Tommy's many towers all over the land. One of the tallest builds. He went with leaping off a simple house roof instead, not wanting to break every bone in his body on his first attempt. 

He easily got on top of Phil's house, and while it wasn't too high up, he could injure himself if he doesn't do this right. He could just belly-flop straight onto the ground, there's no certainty he'll actually fly. But he can't back out now, not when he's been pushing himself so much in order to get this far, with Karl and Sapnap's help. He can't simply chicken out now. 

Phil remained on the ground, standing where he could see him. Unfortunately, he's only there for moral support, since he still can't fly. "Come on! Just give it a shot, and if it doesn't work I'll uh, catch you," he encouraged, but hesitated at the last part. 

Quackity sighed, and rolling his shoulders, spread open his wings. It's a miracle that they're large enough to carry him, he's still not sure where the sudden growth spurt came from. He inhaled a deep breath, taking a few steps back for a runner-up. Manually adjusting his wings a little, he braced himself. 

"Here goes nothing!" He yelled as he dashed to the end of the roof. The feeling of wind blowing into his face, and catching his wings was euphoric. Suddenly, he'd become lighter and taking a leap off the edge, his wings stretched out as much as they could. The first few seconds, his legs were nearing the ground and he thought Phil would have to catch him after all, but then the wind picked him up, and it'd been like he opened a parachute, he was lifted into the air. "Whoa!" 

It's like he has a kite attached to his back, holding him up. He needs to position himself properly, or else he could easily lose his centre of balance and he'll come crashing down. He found that a little tricky, he hadn't had much, or really any experience in this before. He recalled how he did it as a kid, and managed to glide through the air, even if he did end up crashing. 

"Quackity!" Phil called out, and staring down at him, he looks a lot smaller. 

Quackity realized just how high he'd been lifted into the air, and couldn't help but panic a little. He has no idea how to steer himself, and maybe they should have started off on a tree instead. 

"Don't fight it! Relax, and let the wind take a hold of you!" 

Right. Fighting against it won't get him anywhere, he needs to let it take control of him. His body relaxed, and he leaned forward so he laid on his stomach. Repeatedly telling himself to stay calm, let the wind guide him, he closed his eyes. But then, something weird happened with his wings. "Huh?" He opened his eyes and peered over his side, and to his horror, his wings suddenly stopped working with him.

He heard Phil cry out, and as it turns out, he was spiralling straight towards the ground. He's going to have more than a few broken bones falling from this height. He desperately flapped his wings, but the force and speed of him descending was too much. At this rate, he'll crash in three, two, one...

He closed his eyes, and braced himself for impact. 

"Quackity!"

His body acted on its own, and with one powerful flap of his wings, and just seconds from hitting the ground, he shot back into the sky. He opened his eyes to the sound of his wings beating against his ears, and gasped as he came face to face with a cloud. He flew straight through it and it fell apart, separating into smaller parts before disappearing. A cloud, he'd just touched a cloud. 

He froze, and successfully stayed afloat. As long as his wings kept moving, then he'd be fine, but he never expected to reach this height. He wanted to touch the clouds, but he didn't genuinely think it'd be possible. 

He got an idea, and flew over to another cloud, it looked so fluffy and soft. To his disapointment, when he tried to take a piece, his hand went straight through and he couldn't even feel it. "Oh, come on," he whined, and tried again, only to receive the same result. The other wish of his was to steal a star from the night sky, but he's won't even be able to breath that high up, let alone ever come close to flying that far. So, unfortunately, he can't make either of his dreams come true.

But he can fly, and it's just now dawning on him. He's in the actual sky, hovering in place because his wings are still moving, and if he were to... for just a split second, he stopped, and immediately started descending back down. Instead of saving himself, he leaned forward, directing himself at the ground with his arms tucked into his sides. 

After a few seconds, he could see Phil again. He considered calling out to him, but had a different idea. When he got closer, he could see the hilarious shocked expression on his face, he seriously assumed he'd crash, and he did to. He laughed, and tilted up when he started nearing the ground, and flew straight towards Phil at an alarming rate. "Heads up, old man!" He called out, and snatched his hat before Phil could react and wore it over his beanie. 

"H-hey! Give that back!" He exclaimed, stumbling back and turning on his heel, only to catch Quackity soaring back up and out of sight. He softly sighed, a warm smile on his face he crossed his arms and huffed, "show-off."

"Woo-hoo!!" Quackity shouted into the abyss as he flew over the clouds again, and did a somersault. A suggestion crossing his mind, he dived back down and glided over L'manberg, and the entirety of all builds. They all appeared so beautiful from up here, even the slightly unappealing ones. He could see everything and he could travel anywhere five times faster by flight. It's a gift to be envied, and part of him wants to rub it in people's faces and laugh. From up here, he noticed just how far the community expanded, and how far they came. 

It's a wondrous, addictive feeling he can't possibly get enough of. He almost never wants to land, but he knows he can't keep flying forever, eventually he'll grow tired and if he waits too late, he won't be able to catch himself when he falls. It's a shame Phil can't soar alongside him, taking in the sights. He's utterly alone, and as peaceful as that is... he's getting another idea.

Coming a little, he saw everyone minding their own business, without the faintest clue of what's coming. He snickered, he sucked in a deep breath, and called out at the top of his lungs, "ca-caw, fuckers!!" And he received quite a few terrified screams, followed by some swearing and others looking on in awe as he glided over their heads, laughing hysterically and clutching his stomach. 

In the far distance, he spotted two familiar figures, and he smirked. Falling silent, they didn't see him coming as he steadily approached Karl and Sapnap. Though, at the last moment Karl turned his head, spotted Quackity flying towards him with his arms wide open. His scream of terror was muffled when Quackity crashed into him, wrapped his arms around him and took to the sky. He left Sapnap on his own, having to take a double-take and reevaluate what he just witnessed.

Karl freaked out, despite being safe in Quackity's embrace, he saw how high up they were and almost had a heart attack. "Dude!" He screeched, his voice going high-pitched, Quackity found it humorous, snickering as he went pale. "This is cool and all, but put me down!" He demanded, unable to look away from the ground. 

Quackity chuckled, "fine, fine, cry baby. I just wanted to surprise you, don't need to make such a big fuss, jeez," he said with a roll of his eyes. A devilish grin crossed his face, and he locked eyes with Karl, who grew even more frightful. 

"Quackity, don't you _fucking_ dare,"

"Hold on tight!" 

Quackity ignored Karl yelling at him as he held him close, and with a strong flap of his wings, he glided over the talented builds once more. He grew worried Karl would keep his eyes closed the whole time, but reluctantly, his eyes fluttered open and seeing they were still mid-air, he was about to scold Quackity again, but noticed where they were. He too admired the scenery in awe, things looked somewhat different from up here. At least he wasn't complaining anymore, and appreciated his brilliant surprise. 

Unfortunately, the time for sight-seeing came to an end, his wings were growing tired and he needed to land while he still had a choice. He flew back to Sapnap, and slowly lowered himself until his feet touched the dirt, land at last, and released Karl, who instantly threw him a punch in the chest. Not that it did any real damage, but he laughed it off while also feigning agony. "Ungrateful much?" 

Sapnap pushed past Karl, cutting him off. "Come on, me next!" He requested, with not even a simple please, but Quackity needed to rest his wings. He didn't need to overwork them on the first day. 

He crossed his arms, and raised a brow, "uh, not even a 'please', Sapnap?" 

Sapnap didn't get the chance to reply, interrupted by approaching footsteps and slow clapping. They all turned their heads to see Phil walking over, and he snatched his hat back from Quackity. "I've gotta say, that was impressive," he complimented, and Quackity failed to hide his excitement. 

"Really?" He blurted. Karl and Sapnap snickered and chuckled behind him, causing him to clear his throat and fix his posture, a bashful smile still strewn across his mouth. "I mean, what did you expect?"

"Honestly? For you to land on your face."

Karl and Sapnap couldn't contain their laughter, but quieted down when Quackity glared at them. He grumbled under his breath, his expression turning sour. 

Phil shrugged, "but you're right, you did great on your first attempt. You sure you haven't flown before?" He said.

Quackity averted his gaze, scratching his cheek. "I mean, not unless you count─would you two shut up?!" He cut himself off, turning around to snap at Karl and Sapnap who were giggling and muttering behind his back.

Within a matter of seconds, they delved into their own conversation, leaving Phil out of it whether intentionally or not. He didn't mind, however. Quackity's wings practically glowed under the sun's gaze, a bright golden colour to be envied. To think, just weeks ago, no one even knew he had wings in the first place, and he never thought he'd be able to fly.

Phil glanced over his shoulder at his own pair of wings. Unfortunately, he'd never be able to fly again, they were too torn up, especially at the ends. He could almost still feel the stinging pain of the explosion, the booming noise in his ears causing him to only hear white noise for a little. While he gave up something precious to him, he didn't regret a thing. He's long accepted the harsh truth, but sometimes, he still misses the strong breeze against his face, through his feathers and lifting him up, it's something he'll never forget. 

"Whoa, you're freaking heavy, old man! What'd you eat?"  
  
"Q-Quackity? What are you doing?"  
  
Quackity's arms are wrapped around him tight, and he's flapping his wings rapidly, and soon enough, Phil's lifted off the ground. "Returning the favor, old man!"  
  
He's purely baffled, they're only a few feet off the ground. "Careful not to pull a muscle, kid."  
  
"Hey! I'm legally an adult now!"  
  
"Sure, sure. Hey, careful now!"  
  
"Oh, shut up! I know what I'm doing!" Using the last remainder of his strength and forcing his wings to push through the exhaustion, they're a few feet higher now. But, before he could genuinely take him to the sky, he lost his strength and they both collapse into a bush. Phil laughs, as Quackity's annoyed but unharmed. "Oh, crap, are you okay? I swear that was an accident!" He apologizes, "seriously! I thought it'd work!"  
  
Phil laughs, placing his hand on his head and silencing him. "Don't sweat it, you're getting better every day, your wings are practically glowing. Keep it up, and make sure not to act reckless, don't want you endangering them now, do we?"  
  
Quackity chuckles, "of course not." Shaking his head, he opens his mouth to say something else, but Karl and Sapnap extend out their hands to help them out, and interrupts his train of thought.

"Need a helping hand?" Sapnap offered with a sharp grin. Quackity took his hand, only to drag him down into the bush as well. "Hey! Rude!" 

They laugh and tumble around for a minute or so, childish fun that quickly comes to an end. The day had only just begun, and there were plenty of other things that they had planned for the day. So, they said their farewells, Quackity heading off with Karl's and Sapnap's arms slung over his shoulders, they waved goodbye for now.

"Thanks again, Phil!" Quackity said, followed by Sapnap and Karl saying 'yeah'! 

Phil moved his hair out of his face, and waved back. "See you later, kid! And remember, take care of those wings! Don't need you losing them next."

They each brushed it off as a joke, a harmless warning.

"I have a pickaxe, and I'm going to put it through your _teeth._ "

But perhaps, he should have listened more closely. 

Quackity stood with axe in hand, facing against none other than Technoblade. He had the upper hand, Technoblade was only in iron armor and he had full netherite; the winner was obvious. 

Indeed, it was.

Quackity stood hunched over, catching his breath, his arms trembled. He shakily wiped the corner of his mouth, blood dripping down and creating a small puddle by his feet. His bright, golden wings were coated in shades of red, his feathers wildly scattered around them. He tightened his grip on his axe, inhaling a sharp breath.

Techno hadn't even broken a sweat. Pickaxe in hand, he took half a step forward and raised his weapon, stained with a familiar red liquid reflecting in Quackity's eyes. He braced himself.

"Wouldn't trade them for the world."


End file.
